I'm being lazy posting this, purely because I've yet to find the time to look properly.

My car has developed an intermittent clonking noise from the passenger side front wheel.

Non-wordy summary of when it happens:

- doesn't happen all the time

- happens at slow speeds when I stand on the brakes (i.e. if I roll and stand on the brakes it clonks, then again when I lift off)

- doesn't happen if I stand on the brakes while stationary

- doesn't seem to happen when I slow down at speed

- sometimes happens when I steer sharpy in one direction down a bank (there's a banked bit in the work car park, turns 90 degrees to the left down a bank, and it clonks once, then when I turn right to leave the car park it clonks again)

- sometimes happens when I come off a roundabout at speed

A quick examination reveals:

- the wheel isn't loose

- TCA ball joint looks ok

- neither the brake caliper or the disc is loose

- No obvious loose bits under the bonnet, like my alarm siren or anything

What I know is wrong with the car:

- diff bearings are worn

- steering rack bushes are worn

Recently changed:

- passenger side CV boot (and although I can't necessarily point fingers, I don't remember it clonking before that was changed)

- passenger side tyre (day before the CV boot was changed)

Both my CV joints are fine, I think.

Any ideas?

Are you using 239mm vented pads?

I put a new set of pagids in the other week and my car developed a clonking afterwards. Turned out to be a dodgy pad rattling vertically in the carrier when hitting the brakes quite quickly. Rattle shims were in place, but these only appear to stop horizontal play in the pads anyway. Problem sorted after some thick paint on the carrier edges :-)

I've got 256mm ones on mine, I did wonder if it was the pads, but the noise sounds heavier than that.

It's the springs at the top of the pads that stop the 256mm ones moving right?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I did wonder if it was structural and my car had finally given in to the dead chassis leg disease but I can't see any cracks. Complete panic!

Hmm, and my gearbox mount isn't great either, though the engine feels fairly solidly held in place.

Annoying little niggles which I've had to leave due to having zero funds.

Yeah the spring on the 256mm pads keeps the pad pushed into the carrier off the caliper. If you dont have an LSD fitted, jack the car up on one side with a trolley jack, put in gear, step on the gas then hit your brakes. Helps to have another person outside listening for the knocking.

Good plan, I'll try and get it up to the PC workshop one evening this week if I can.

I'm kind of glad I don't need to use it as a daily drive after the 25th, means if it's something expensive I can leave it for now.

top mount?

howdy ho

your description sounds very much like what i had, drive down a hill slow with your mate next to the front wheel, and dab brake and see if there is any movement in the wheel, i found it was the TCA, confirmed by jacking the car up and levering the bottom of the strutt vie the tca, could see the vast amount of movement...

Top mount is one I'd wondered about.

What would cause the arb to move?

It's going down to PSD this week to have the charger looked at so I'll let Steve figure out what's moving.